The Price of Love (A Price Novel Book 1) by Maggi Craft Read Free Book Online Page A

anyone would know me.
    As soon as we got to the club, Holly grabbed my hand and dragged me past all of the people in line, and the bouncer let us in. This didn’t seem to make the people in line very happy, but it was nice to feel special. Even if the special treatment was for Holly and had nothing to do with me.
    Once inside, Holly led me to a table where two beautiful guys were sitting. They both stood up as we approached.
Very gentlemanlike,
I thought.
    Robert was Holly’s date; he was from Sweden. Tall and blond, he had a very strong bone structure. He looked like he could have been in some historic painting. The other guy’s name was Federico, and he was from Italy. He wasn’t as tall as Robert, but he was a little better looking. He had pretty olive skin and brown eyes that were so dark they looked like coal. His eyelashes were prettier and longer than any girl’s I’d seen back at that modeling agency. I’d have to say he was pretty.
    Both guys were here traveling. They seemed very nice, as we all sat and talked, but I just wasn’t into it. I wanted to go back to the apartment. All of a sudden, I really wanted to go see Slayde, but I reminded myself that that was completely out of the question.
    Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Slayde. I turned quickly to look, but I must have been seeing things. I loudly released the breath I was unknowingly holding in, and Holly looked at me funny. I turned my attention back to Robert, who was telling us some story about a tree growing in the middle of the road. I hoped it wasn’t too obvious I wasn’t really paying attention.
    Only moments later, I looked again, and it was Slayde — and he was with Kinley. I felt sick, really sick. I felt like I had been kicked in the gut. I had to leave. I had to leave now. I was upset, and I wasn’t in any kind of mood to continue this charade with my new friends any longer.
    I grabbed my purse and pushed away from the table, knocking over my drink, which was nothing but ice by this point. Robert stopped talking and everyone looked at me. Federico quickly raked the ice into his hands and back into the glass. Looked up at me and smiled. I couldn’t even make myself return the gesture. I thought I was doing them all a favor by saying nothing. That was the only way to ensure that I would not break down crying right there.
    I was just about to excuse myself from the table when Slayde walked up and grabbed my arm. A little more forcefully than I thought necessary. “Where in the hell have you been? I have been calling you and texting you for two days.” He turned to Holly. “And you — you lied to me.” Holly just shrugged and looked away. Slayde looked back at me. “She said she didn’t know anything about where you were. What is going on here? You’ve been ignoring my texts and calls because you were with him?” he shouted, pointing at poor Federico.
    How dare he?
I was furious. “What do you mean, what’s going on here? You’re one to talk. You tell me what’s going on here,” I said as I pointed to Kinley, who had come to stand at Slayde’s side.
    “What’s wrong, baby?” she asked Slayde, putting her hand on the back of his neck. And that was all I could stand. I stormed off. I wasn’t going to stand there and be humiliated in front of all of those people. I was going home — to
my
home, not the apartment. I just had to go back to Kenedy’s and get my stuff.
    Slayde caught up to me and tried to get me to stop, but I jumped into a cab and left him standing on the curb. Tears were once again streaming down my face. This
is what I get for messing with my sister’s ex-boyfriend. I guess I deserve it. I should have known it would end this way.
    When the cab dropped me off at the apartment building, I ran up the stairs. I didn’t want to chance getting caught in the elevator if Slayde followed me back. Changing into some comfy clothes, I began to pack my stuff. I was finished with this vacation. It was past